Fanshop
TSG lose snowy battle against Hannover
Personnel and tactics
Julian Nagelsmann made two changes to the team that beat Leipzig last time out. Kevin Vogt and Andrej Kramaric replaced Kevin Akpoguma and Stefan Posch for the away side. The other players representing Hoffenheim were Oliver Baumann, Pavel Kaderabek, Lukas Rupp, Steven Zuber, Nadiem Amiri, Mark Uth, Benjamin Hübner, Serge Gnabry and Dennis Geiger.
Hoffenheim were set up in a 4-3-3 with Vogt and Hübner at the heart of defence, supported by Kaderabek and Zuber in the full-back positions. Geiger manned the midfield, playing a defensive role, while Amiri and Rupp were further up the pitch. Uth, Kramaric and Gnabry formed the front three for TSG. When Hannover had the ball and playing in seriously snowy conditions, Rupp tracked back to the back four, making it a 5-3-2.
Julian Nagelsmann made his first change at half-time. Dennis Geiger, who was already on a yellow, was taken off, replaced by Akpoguma. This changed the formation to a 3-5-2, changing to a 5-3-2 when TSG were off the ball. Rupp moved to central midfield with Kramaric a little further ahead of him. Szalai came on for Rupp with 65 minutes on the clock with Vogt moving to central defensive midfield and Szalai spearheading the strikeforce. Nico Schulz was the final substitution. He came on for Zuber eight minutes later.
The moment of the match
51 minutes on the clock and TSG are fighting against the elements at Hannover. Pavel Kaderabek receives the ball, moves it onto his right foot, but his shot is centimetres wide of the post and the hosts stay ahead. It wasn't to be.
Stats of the match: 61 and 55
TSG had 60% possession in Hannover and won 55% of their tackles. These are statistics normally on the side of the winning team, but it was the home team who led on the one figure that really mattered.
Match facts and statistics »
